MONTGOMERY, Ala. — After benefitting from a life-saving organ donation, House Minority Leader Anthony Daniels recently introduced a bill to expand time off and insurance protections for living organ donors.
Daniels, D-Huntsville, received a kidney transplant from his wife, Dr. Teneshia Daniels, last year after he experienced sudden kidney failure. He called this bill “very personal” for him and for other members of the Legislature who have experienced organ donation within their own families.
“For me, this is a way to incentivize individuals to be organ donors, but it will also educate the community on the process because there is a lot of fear out there,” Daniels told Alabama Daily News on Monday. “I think that this opens the door for us to be able to have these real conversations and address that in a meaningful way.”
Daniels said he was approached by the American Kidney Fund to introduce the bill, which has also been introduced in other states, because of his experience.
The Alabama Living Donor Protection Act – House Bill 361 – would stop insurers from denying living organ donors disability, life or long-term coverage because of their status as a donor.
Under the act, public sector employers would also be required to offer paid leave up to 80 work hours for employees who donate organs. The bill incentivizes private employers to do the same through a tax credit for each employee granted leave.
State law currently regulates post-mortem organ donations but has no comparable protection for living organ donors.
“From a donor standpoint, I think that in order to encourage individuals to look at this, I think that this legislation is the perfect vehicle to incentivize individuals that want to be organ donors but the time off from recuperating presents a different challenge for them financially,” Daniels said.
Daniels said he expects to see the bill in committee in the next few weeks.